Sunday Solutions — July 12, 2026
Good morning! It’s still blazing hot, and so is the accountability beat here at The Current. Today’s lineup may remind you again that local public officials’ actions on your behalf deserve your attention even when an election isn’t looming. And, don’t miss today’s last item if you’re looking to renew your faith in neighbors. Scroll on!
NEWS: GOVERNING
Rent: $42 per month
It’s official: The Glynn County Commission has renewed a lease for the St. Simons Marina to its private management company for a new low price of $500 a year. The public marina is currently closed and longtime renovations are ongoing, but the St. Simons Boating and Fishing Club also is using $5 million in taxpayer money to make long-overdue repairs. The Current‘s Glynn Couty reporter, Jabari Gibbs, explains what’s happening.
NEWS: COMMUNITY
Sapelo zoning: Try, try again
Last week began with a public zoning commission hearing for a proposed ordinance for the Hogg Hummock community on Sapelo Island. McIntosh Planning & Zoning commissioners heard speakers weigh in on the plan — none in favor, citing a lack of specificity for many items and the fears that the zoning might spark higher taxes and force owners to sell. The week ended late Friday with a new plan from the McIntosh County Commission that addressed some concerns from the earlier hearing. The Friday special called meeting allowed commissioners to air their thoughts about the updated-updated plan before they voted to return it to the P&Z board for a new consideration and public hearing on Aug. 4.
The Current‘s Mary Landers has been covering the zoning effort, an uneasy push and pull between the commissioners and the descendants and owners of the last intact Gullah Geechee community on the coast. It’s a village with more than property value at stake. Read her coverage of Friday’s changes here. And, if you want a refresher on the Hogg Hummock and Sapelo Island history on this topic and more, go here where we’ve compiled all of our coverage, documents and more.
A governor’s meeting memo
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp met with representatives of OpenAI, the operator of ChatGPT, at his office in May. But all we know about a powerful leader’s meeting with a controversial company comes from a one-page briefing paper.
A briefing paper or memo is a common kind of document typically prepared by a governor’s staff before a meeting, to give the executive a quick run-down of topics on the agenda plus a list of expected attendees. Read the OpenAI briefing paper from Kemp’s office here or skip to Maggie Lee’s coverage of the meeting and lack of public information.
NEWS: IMMIGRATION
‘Catastrophic consequences’
In a targeted raid, Savannah State University student and Dominican Republic citizen Johan Sandoval was detained July 3 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers while he was staying in New York. Sandoval attends college on a nonimmigrant student visa and plays baseball for the Tigers. His paperwork lacked a form I-20 required to keep a student visa valid. Savannah State, according to Sandoval’s lawyer, issued the correct form this week. For now, Sandoval is being held in a detention center in upstate New York. “It’s a bureaucratic mistake that has resulted in catastrophic consequences,” said his lawyer, John Jeha, who hopes the new paperwork will speed the student’s release. The Current‘s Daneen Khan updates the story and breaks down the process for nonimmigration student visas.
We have a winner!
Reader Kevin Shotsberger is the grand prize winner for the 2026 edition of the Sunday News Quiz — careful readers may remember that he won the 2024 edition, as well. He’ll receive a t-shirt from The Current and some other goodies! Thanks for playing!
What else?
Head over to our web site at thecurrentga.org for more stories and info from The Current‘s staff and our news partners. It wasn’t a slow week for anyone who wants to know more about data centers and who pays for their power needs, people who want to watch changes in Georgia election processes, and how Liberty County officials are addressing questions about water and what happens to it. Click on!
FEATURE: COMMUNITY
☕ Your second cup: Unity through kindness
So many things that affect our lives don’t care about divisive politics or much of anything else. One of those cold forces is crushing medical debt. An often divided congregation in North Carolina found that helping others deal with mountains of health care expenses was a unifying effort. The story from KFF Health News and NPR shows the benefits of kindness went far beyond the struggling families.
Glynn County extends lease at public St. Simons marina to private group
By Jabari Gibbs
The Glynn County Board of Commissioners has extended the lease for the St. Simons Boating and Fishing Club to manage St. Simons Marina, reducing its rent to $42 per month despite ongoing contract violations and delays in repairs.
McIntosh commission proposes revised Sapelo zoning ordinance
By Mary Landers
The McIntosh County Commission has advanced a proposed zoning ordinance that would limit house size on Sapelo Island to 1,550 square feet under roof with an additional 400-square-foot porch, and will go to the McIntosh County Zoning Board for a public hearing and recommendation on August 4, 2026.
Georgia election board adopts new rules targeting election mistrust
By Ty Tagami/Capitol Beat News Service
The Georgia Election Board adopted two rules to increase confidence in the state’s election system, one of which could face a constitutional challenge, and a third rule was delayed until 2028.
Administrative error led to ICE arrest of Savannah State student-athlete, attorney says
By Daneen Khan
Johan Sandoval, a Dominican baseball player, was detained by ICE due to administrative errors between Bryant & Stratton College and Savannah State University, resulting in an invalid student visa.
Georgia regulators launch investigation into data center energy costs
By Emily Jones/WABE, Grist
Georgia regulators are investigating how large power users like data centers pay for fuel to ensure other Georgia Power customers aren’t paying extra costs driven by the growth of the energy-hungry industry.
Ogeechee Riverkeeper, Liberty County Development Authority reach testing agreement
By Robin Kemp
In a press release issued Tuesday, the Liberty County Development Authority announced it has reached an agreement with the environmental nonprofit Ogeechee Riverkeeper “to establish a comprehensive baseline water quality monitoring program for the Laurel View and North Newport Rivers in Liberty County.” The agreement comes amid LCDA’s plans to build an advanced wastewater treatment […]
Update: McIntosh to consider new Sapelo zoning revisions
By Mary Landers
The McIntosh County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously voted to table consideration of new zoning for the Hogg Hummock neighborhood of Sapelo Island, which would have capped house size at 1,800 square feet and 35 feet tall, after nearly a dozen residents spoke against it and the county attorney urged the board to “go back […]
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